Table leg hinge and latch



Patented May 31, 1932- l .Y MLRH c. enana, kor MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE i TABLE .HINGE ANnLATcHi Application filedl September 14, 1931.l ySerial No. 562`,702.

' Thisy invention relates to improvements f in hinges and latches for folding legs for tables.

The principal objects of this invention-k 4arez yTo provide a leg hinge which is positoned in the corner `formed by the top rails which constitute the framesupporting the top of the table, which hinge braces the rail lcorner and the leg hinged thereto;

To provide means for latching the leg in open or using `position relatively to the hinge and rails; f

, To provide means for supporting the latching pin whereby it will automatically drop into placewhen the leg is moved toV open position and to provide means in such a latch for automatic wedging action of the latching parts. y'

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be imderstood from the following specification on reference to the, accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofthe upper end of a table leg in opened position together kwith arhinge and latch therefor;

' Fig. 2 is a similar view with one leg `of the hinge member cut away on the line 4II-II of Fig. 4, to show the leg plate of the latch;

Fig. 3 is a corresponding lview of Fig. 2,V

showing the leg turned to foldedy position;

- and preferably'by screws 17, and the U :leg 16y secured to the rail 13 as by screws 18. Y

Secured to yone sideof the table leg as by a screw y19 is a leg rplate 2O which plate and the legare apertured to receive a hinge pin` vv21. This pin preferably is :a bolt which also gp'asses throug'hf lcorresponding holes .in the U legs *15V-16 and is y'either threaded .directly into the leg 16, or it may screw into anu't 22 disposedfin Va Asuitable recess 23 in the .rai'l' 13. The leg plate20 is provided with a slot2'4 'which ihas a `portion .25 of that edge which "lies adjacent to the vU bottom 14,"substantially parallel to that bottom. vThe upper .end :2610i theplate 20fis out away around 'the 1pi-nj2l-asa center andthe edge ,2711's similar."- rly relieved in order that'the platexmayturn varoundthe 'pin 21 without binding against t-h'etable top. The leg 10is: cutout,and cut away to conform to the slot 24, and `thesecut 'awayportions of vthe lplate 20.

` The `Ufleg Y15 is provided 'with'a' latch pin slot 30 which slo't k:lies 'below ,the pivot'pin 21,

extending downward and Vtoward the U :bot- 1.;

tom so that'the bottom end of "the'slot 30is closer to the Uy bottom than is .they .upper `end ofthe slot. Disposed in the slots 30 and 24 is a latch pin31 one end 32, of whichis "loosely secured in theplate, 16, as by 'upsetting the end to prevent removal of the pin, `thehole iin the U leg 16'beingslightlylarger tfhn the pin 31, but fsmadler `than this upset i k lThe end of the pinl ,31 opposite 'the upset end 32 extends through the slot 24, and the slot '30, and iis preferably providedy with -a "headv 33 which may `be 'grasped `:inl moving the pin by hand to release it. In Figs.

12 and 3 ythe pin is shown yin section to findicatethat this head has been cut olf, this being f done to reduce ycomplication ofl the view. In installing-the device the nut 22, lii

used, is vplaced in the ,recess 23, and the 1U hinge member is secured in place asby the screw :lil-18. Thereafter Y'the leg 10, is

.slipped into place, vthe slotted end passing-to Y ,place -over the v,pin 31, andthe hinge ,pinu21 is inserted and engaged with .thethreaded plate 16,-.01=thevnut22asfthe casemay-be, and

#tightened until the leg. 10 isso virmly held thatfit isnecessaryto'use amoderate amount efforce to move .it fromopen to closed zposi-- ftioner viceversa. Y

ToY se't Yup `aptable which has' been *raided fitok it is only necessary to pull each leg in turn into open or using position.

It will be noted that when the leg is in folded position as shown in Fig. 3, the latch pin 31 is supported by the arcuate eX- tension Q-A of the slot edge Q5 so that there isV no resistance of the pin to the opening movement of the leg and so that the pin automatically drops into place when the leg is in using position. Latching action of the pin begins as soon as the pin reaches the restricted lower portion of the slot 24. The actual latching is accomplished by the wedging of the pin 31 between the edge 25 of the leg plate slot and the' opposite edge of the slot 30 in the hinge leg 15. Preferably the depth of the slots30 and 24 is such that the in v31 accomplishes its latching action Well fore it bottoms in the slots.

Having described my invention, what claim is 1. In a table leg hinge and latch, fora table having top rails, a U-shaped hinge member securedto theinner side of a rail, said member having a slot in one leg thereof, a table leg having its upper end disposed between the legs of said member, a hinge bolt passing through said member legs and said table leg,a plate rigidly secured to said table leg adjacent the slotted leg of said member,

signature. f

' RALPH O. CLARK.

said plate having a slot adaptedy toreceive a j' latch pin, a latch pin loosely ivoted through one leg of said member, an having its opposite end projecting through the slots in said plate andthe adjacent leg of said memr. 2. In a leg hinge and latch for a table having a top and rails, a U-shaped hinge member disposed againstthe inner, sides of said rails ata corner'formed by two of them, said member having'one leg thereof secured to one of said rails, and its bottom to the other thereof, said member having a pin receiving slot in the unsecured leg thereof, `a table leg having its upper end disposed between the legs of said member, a hinge bolt passing through said membery legs and said table leg,

a plate rigidly secured to said table leg adja- 'cent the slotted leg of said member, said plate having a notch adapted to receive a latch pin, and a latchk in loosely hinged through the secured leg o said member, and having its opposite end projecting through the slots in said plate and the adjacent leg of said member.

3. In a table-leg hinge and latch` a vU- shaped hinge member secured to the inner sides of a table-top rail, said member having a pin receiving slot in one leg thereof, the lower part of said slot being closer to the bottom of said member than the upper part y d l thereof, a table leg having nits upper end disposed between the ,legs of ,said member, a hinge bolt passing throughboth legs of said member, agplate secured to said tableleg :ad- 

